Match-safe.



J. T. SMITH;

MATGH SAFE. Amman-101w FILED JAR-.26. 1909.

Patented Aug. 31, 1.909.

ANDREW. a. GRAMAM m. Fmro-Lminammml wlsmuam JAnE-s' THOMAS snirn, or "MQREEEAD, KANSAS.-

Maren-"sar s.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES THOMAS SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at; Morehead, in the county of Neosho and State ofKansas, have invented'a new and useful: Match-Safe, of which the following is a specificatio v a o It is the object of the present invention to improve generally the construction of single delivery match safes, and more specifically speaking, to provide a device of this class ofsuch construction. that a single depression of a plunger is all thatis necessary to eject a match from the safe and automatically ignite the same i 1 V 1 One of the novel features of the present invention resides in the specific form of match igniting device provided for the purpose of igniting the matches as they are ejected from the discharge chute of the de vice, the object being to provide a match igniting device or element of'such character as to dig into the match tip or head at a plurality of points so as to ignition of the head.

A further feature of the inventionresides in the specific construction of the match reservoir and the discharge chute and the manner of actuating the reservoir to feed matches therefrom into the chute singly and at each stroke of the plunger or other match ejecting means provided within the chute or in connection therewith v A still further novel feature of the invention resides inso constructing and mounting, the match igniting device or element that 2 after the match has been ignitedand ejected partly from the chute, or in otherwordsiha's front elevation of the device. Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. i is a perspective view in detail ofthe match igniting element,

and Fig. 5is a similar view of the dog for actuating the match reservoir.

As shown in the drawings, thelmatch reservoir and the discharge chute are respectively mounted in and supported by a frame comprising a part of the match safe and this positively insure of "Specification of'Lctters' Patentf Patented Aug; 31, 1909 Application filed January 25, 969. Serial No. 474,101,

j frame is made up ofan upper head 6, and a lower head/7, the said heads being preferably in the form of plates provided at theirrear edges with attaching disks 8 provided with openings for the passage of screws or other securing devices whereby the frame may be attached to a wall or support and theset-Woheads of the frame are connected by means of suitable connecting bars9r j The match reservoir of the device is comprised of-a hollow cylindrical drum 1O closed at both ends, an outer inclosing concentric ldrumill which is open at both ends, and short partitions "or webs 12 which extend between the outer surface of the cylindrical wall of the drum 10 to the inner surface of the wall of the drum 11 and connect the two drums in spaced relation as above stated, These partitions 12 are arranged in an annular series, as will be of course readily understood, and formed between them an annular series of match-receiving compartments 13 into which matches may be introduced through an opening lat provided in the upper head or plate 6 of the frame of the delvice, the :matches being of course introduced singly and successively into the said receiving compartment, a step by step rotative movement being imparted to the reservoir at the timeof filling the said compartment thereof. The reservoir is mounted for such rotative movemen't upon a suitable spindle 15 which issecured at its ends axially in the plates 6 and 7 of the frame of the device. As the reservoir is rotated, the lower ends of its match-receiving compartments 13 are successively brought into registration with a discharge opening 16 formed in the lower plate 7 of the said frame, it being understood that ,uponsuch registration of each compartment with the said opening, the match contained in the compartment will drop through the opening. It will be understood of course that the matches are inserted into the match-receiving compartment 13, tips down,and rest at their tip ends upon the upper face of the plate 7 of the frame of the device, and that upon rotative movement of the reservoir, matches will be brought with their tip ends above the discharge open- 'The; chute above referred to is .in the natureof a tube, preferably rectangular, in-

fing l6 and will drop, tip ends first, into the dicated the numeral 17,- the said tube being fixed at its upper portion in the plates 6 and 7 at the edges thereof, these plates being extended at their edge portions beyond the periphery of the outer drum 11 ofthe match reservoir, and said tube, while it terminates at its upper end flush with the upper plate 6, extends downwardly below the lower plate 7 to a considerable degreea's" is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

I This tube 17 is provided with a rearwardly off-set extension or chamber 18 into which the match-receiving compartments 13 discharge, successively, the opening 16 establishing communication so that the matches are dropped first into the chamber or extension 18' ofthe tube and afterward slide down into thelower portion of the tube in position to be ejected, it being understood of course that the bottom wall of the chamber or extension '18 is inclined downwardly in the direction of the lower end of the discharge chute or tube 17. As a means for ejecting the matches-from the tube or'chute after having been fed thereinto, there is provided a plunger 19 which is mounted for vertical sliding movement in the tube, and

' projects at its upper end above the upper end of the said tube, the lower end of the plunger beingnormally in a planeabove the lower end of the bottom wall of the chamber or extensionlS as is clearly shown in'Fig. 1

i a of the; drawings. The plunger 19 is normally heldl elevated, in which position its lower end is locatedin the plane stated, by meansof a spring 21 which 19 d sposedupon the upper portlonof the said plunger and bears at its loweriend against the upper face 7 of the plate 6 of the frame of the device, the upper end of the spring bearing'against a cam, which is carried by the plunger and the function of which will I: be presently de match: from scribed. The plunger is provided at its up perfend with a knobor finger piece 22 which may be engaged by the thumb or one of the fingers for the purpose of depressing the plunger against the tension of the spring 21 ousseries of teeth, indicated by the numeral '23 ,and these teeth are of such dimension that when the reservoir 1s rotated the extent or, length oiione'tooth, a new one of the match-receivingcompartments 13 will be brought into registration at its lower end with the opening 16 in the plate 7 of the frame of thedevice, and in order that such step by step rotative movement of the reservoir may be had, there is pivoted, upon the under surface of the plate 6 a pawl 24 hav-' lng one edge turned downwardly to form a tooth 25 adapted to engage successively ,with the rack teeth 23 of the drum 11 of the reservoir upon swinging of the said pawl upon its pivot, the pivot being indicated by the numeral 26. A plate extension 27 having a cam edge 28, is carried by the plunger 19 at the upper portion thereof and has one edge slotted or spaced throughout the greater portion of its length from the said plunger as at 29 to accommodate the spring 21 heretofore referred to. Normally,

the pawl or dog 24 is held with its edge opposite its downturned end 25 in contact with the cam edge 28 of the plate extension 27, by means of a suitable extensible spring 30 and from an inspection of Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be understood that the cam edge 28 of the said plate extension 27 is of such outline or extent that when the plunger 19 is forced down into the discharge chute or tube 17, the pawl or dog 24 will be swungupon its pivot against the tension of the spring 30 and in the direction of the arrow in 3 of the drawings, so as to rotatethe reservoir one step or in other words a distance equal to the length of one match have been fed into the lower end of the discharge chute or tube 17, downward movement of the plunger 19 will result in the matchbeing ejected through the lower end of the said tube and in a rotation 01" the reservoir of the device to provlde for the delivery of a second match into the chamber or extension 18 of the said tube, this last mentioned match however, being prevented in entering immediately into the lower end of the said tube 17 by reason of the fact that the lower portion of the plunger now closes the lower end ofthe said extension or chamber 18 or rather the tube at the point communication of this extension or chamber therewith. 'However, upon release of the plunger 19, the same will be elevated, as heretofore stated, through the instrument-ality of the s7ring 21,and upon assuming its normal position, in which position its lower end is in aplanc above the plane of the lower end of the chamber or extension 18, the match, previously discharged into the said chamber, as above described, and lying upon the bottom wall of the said chamber, will slide down this wall and into the lower end of the: tube 17 in position, to be ejected from the said tube through the lower match igniting device or element which acts to ignite the tip of the match at the time of lts ejection from the lowerend of the discharge tube 17 and in order to receive the striking or working portion of this element,

the lower end of the tube is provided, in one side, with an opening 32. The igniting device is in the form of a small plate 33which. is attached to a leaf spring 3 1 secured upon the rear side of the tube 17 at the lower end 7 thereof, in a manner to be presently dc scribed, and this plate, at its lower portion,

is bifurcated or otherwise cut to form a plurality of blades 35 whichproj ectforwardly at an angle therefromand have their knife edges, indicated by the numeral 36, presented upwardly at an angle. The knives or blades 35 are here shown as three in'number and the intermediate one of the blades has its cutting edge 36 located in a plane below the plane occupied by the cutting edges of the two outer blades so that the three cutting edges will practically simul-.

taneously engage with the convex head or tip of the match to be ejected and ignited. Another advantage accruing fromtthc S196? cific arrangement of the blades and their knife edges as above described, resides in the fact that after the match has been ignited by contact with the said edges of the blade, and has been almost entirely ejected from the tube 17 through the lower end thereof, the extremities of the blades will grip the stem of the match, adj acentlth'e butt end thereof, between them' andthe front wall or side of the said tube 17 the line defined by the ends of the three blades being the arc of a circle so that thehst-em of the match will be gripped or engaged at more than one point. After the match has been ejected to the degree stated, it may be read, ily removed by the manipulator of the device and used for lighting a cigar or the like. In securing the spring 34 to the rear side or wall of the tube 17, the same is preferably riveted at two or more points as indicated by the numeral 37 and thetendency of the spring is of course to force the blades 35 with their extremities into contact with the inner face of the front wall or side of the said tube 17 at the lower end thereof.

What is claimed is 1 1. In a device of the class described, spaced heads, a reservoir mounted to rotate between said heads,-one of the heads being In order to prevent backward roformed withan opening, the reservoir having a plurality of match receiving compartments arranged to register successively with said opening, said reservoir being cylindrical and having the upper edge of its wall toothed, a pawl pivoted upon the upper one of the heads and engaging with the toothed edge of the wall of the reservoir, a discharge leading from the reservolr, a

plunger arranged to force matches through said discharge, a spring normally holding said plunger in an upward direction, and a cam carried by the plunger and engaging with the pawl when the plunger is depressed, successive depression of the plunger act ing'to impart step-by-step rotative move ment to the reservolr.

2. In a device of the class described, spaced heads, a reservoir mounted to rotatebetween said heads, one of the heads being formed with an opening, the reservoir having a plurality of match-receiving compartments arranged to register successively with said opening, the said reservoir being cylindrical and having the upper edge of its wall" toothed, a spring dog upon the upper one of the heads engaging with the toothed upper edge of the wall of the reservoir, whereby to prevent rotation of the reservoir in one direction, a pawl pivoted upon the upper one of the heads and engaging with the toothed wall of the reservoir, a dis charge leading from said reservoir, a plunger arranged to force matches through the discharge, a spring normally holding said plunger in an upward direction, and a cam carried by the plunger and engaging with the pawl when the plunger is depressed, successive depression of the plunger acting to impart step-by-step rotative movement to the reservoir.

3. In a device of the class dwcribed, spaced heads, a reservoir mounted to rotate between said heads one of the heads being formed with an opening, the reservoir having a plurality of match-receiving compartments arrangedto register successively with said openings, the said reservoir being cylindrical and having the upper edge of its wall toothed, a pawl pivoted upon the upper one of the heads and engaging with the toothed edge of the wall of the reservoir, a discharge mentioned portion of the discharge, a spring holding said plunger normally elevated, depression of the plunger serving to force a match from the first mentioned portion of the discharge, and a cam carried by the pluiiger and engaging with the pawlwhen" inga plurality of match-receiving compartments arranged to register successively with saldopening, the said reservolr being cylindrical and having the upper edge of its wall toothed, a pawl pivoted upon the upper one of the heads and engaging with the toothed edge of the wall of the reservoir, a discharge leading from said reservoir, a plunger arranged to force matches through said discharge, a spring normally holding said plunger in an upright direction, a cam carried by the plunger and engaging with the pawl when the plunger is depressed, a

spring connected to the pawl and holding the same normally in engagement with the cam, successive depression of the plunger acting to impart step-by-step' rotative movement to the reservoir.

In testimony that Lclai n the foregoing as my own, I have hereto :1 xed my signature in the presence or two witnesses.

J'A hIES THOIVLXS SBIITH.

itnesses L. S. PURCELL, M. A. FINLEY. 

